Weak antilocalization and electron–electron interaction in coupled multiple-channel transport in a Bi2Se3 thin film

Abstract

The electron transport properties of a topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ thin film are studied in Hall-bar geometry. The film with a thickness of 10 nm is grown by van der Waals epitaxy on fluorophlogopite mica and Hall-bar devices are fabricated from the as-grown film directly on the mica substrate. Weak antilocalization and electron–electron interaction effects are observed and analyzed at low temperatures. The phase-coherence length extracted from the measured weak antilocalization characteristics shows a strong power-law increase with decreasing temperature and the transport in the film is shown to occur via coupled multiple (topological surface and bulk states) channels. The conductivity of the film shows a logarithmical decrease with decreasing temperature and thus the electron–electron interaction plays a dominant role in quantum corrections to the conductivity of the film at low temperatures.